Conference programme

For too long, perpetrators have escaped incarceration and accountability by hiding away for the authority seeking to punish them. Universal jurisdiction allows states or international organisations to claim criminal jurisdiction over an accused person, regardless of where the alleged crime was committed and irrespective of the accused's nationality. This key tool must be used to ensure the prevention, criminalisation, and punishment of serious violations of international humanitarian law. The fight against impunity has no borders.

During this session, experts will discuss the use of universal jurisdiction globally- mapping the plethora of cases from the last five years. Experts will discuss how the cases came into being, including by way of civil society engagement. Experts will consider how the approaches in response to the war in Ukraine can help to make the principle of universal jurisdiction more universally used. 

As efforts to combat climate change intensify, businesses across the globe are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices. International agreements and regulatory frameworks mandating or encouraging carbon reduction strategies present challenges for clients and significant opportunities for law firms ready to guide companies through the complex web of rules and regulations. What is the potential for law firms to expand their environmental law practice through advising and facilitating transactions in the carbon credits market? How should multidisciplinary advisory teams (biodiversity, fintech and others) be deployed? What is the future for carbon credit exchanges? This panel will address these and many other topical issues arising from a challenging environmental issue facing the legal practice. 

This session will examine the role that male champions of gender equity can play as catalysts for change in our profession. The entire legal community must work together to achieve parity. Women lawyers are acutely aware of the challenges they face and what needs to be done to level the playing field. However, this is not just a women’s issue. Law firm leaders globally (including managing partners, executive committee members, shareholders/equity partners, etc.) are primarily male and can serve as accelerators in providing opportunities for women.

This panel will discuss the characterisation of fee payments: royalties, services fees, access fees or other? We will also explore source issues and implications from a transfer pricing, withholding tax and treaty interpretation perspective.

The session will discuss the most recent virtual asset regulations, what they cover and don’t cover, and the challenges faced by enforcement authorities on categorising and regulating emerging financial products. 

This panel will discuss the impact of the change of leadership in the United States, Canada and Mexico, on the review of the North American’s free trade agreement (the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement), scheduled in 2026. The previous revision introduced ground breaking changes, including the thorough supervision of labour standards at a company level. What will the next revision bring? 

The panel will discuss the current state of domain name protection and what companies need to be thinking about over the next 25 years.

This session is organised to discuss possible role of lawyers in using law and legal procedures to broker peace talks/ bring war crimes to justice and related issues. 

The evidence shows that in most cases, and even where international arbitration disputes involve African parties, the seats for the international arbitration are likely to be London, Paris, New York or sometimes in Singapore with these cases being subject to either the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) or the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). Is there the need for African countries to consider strengthening their national legal systems and mechanisms for commercial dispute resolution for purposes international arbitration at least when the parties are all African?

The session will explore the feasibility of strengthening these national rules for commercial dispute resolution or consider the establishment of a regional hub with the necessary international standards and and credibility to absorb some of the disputes in the future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is revolutionising the IT ecosystem in unprecedented ways. With AI developers themselves struggling to fully understand the intricacies of their own model, AI’s inherent risks of unpredictability and bias pose challenges for lawyers and regulators alike. Regulators around the globe have responded with AI regulation but are also introducing new regulations that apply to technology contracting more broadly and which impact providers and users of technology in general. In this evolving landscape, companies need to re-evaluate their contracts. Are they still offering the right level of protection? Do the clauses function as intended? Do they address these new developments? The short answer is: likely not.

In this interactive session, leading industry experts and specialised lawyers will discuss the impact of AI and other regulations on contracts. Through real-world examples and contract clauses, they will guide you on how to update your contracts to meet the challenges ahead.

This panel will discuss the complexities of forum shopping in insolvency proceedings, and the debate on whether centre of main interest (COMI) should still be the rule.

Whilst investigative journalists have often been instrumental in exposing cases of serious corruption, there are also many instances where this has not been the case. If individuals or businesses take action to protect their reputation from journalistic accusation, they are often accused of trying to ‘silence’ the media— is this a fair situation? Is the law positioned to, or capable of, adequately addressing these issues? Alternatively, does the law inhibit an open and free press, and are the impacts of investigative journalism overstated? The role of whistleblowers.

Is the situation in women’s boxing during the last Olympic Games a case of discrimination and harassment of female athletes, or are the allegations justified measures aimed at levelling the playing field in sports competition? This panel will also cover other current issues relating to women in sports and the associated legal implications: income (especially, how to accelerate equality), maternity, sexism, trolling.  

Mining is one of the most relevant industries in several Latin American countries. Over the recent years, regulations have increased and deals have become more sophisticated. Investments in the region need to deal with heavier regulatory requirements and increased competition. This panel will address some of the legal trends of the mining industry in the region considering energy transition aspects, the need of rare minerals, artificial intelligence, global climate effects and geopolitical concerns.

This session will focus on the IBA's ongoing and planned anti-corruption capacity building efforts, in collaboration with the International Federation of Accountants, and experts at the FATF. Come along to see how you can get involved in bespoke regional training events, and how the professions and other stakeholders are coming together to maximise the impact of these events. 

In this panel discussion we look at the growing role in non-bank financial institutions such as tech companies, credit funds, asset managers and insurers are playing in providing credit to the real economy and the financial sector. The panel will consider both opportunities and challenges this poses for the financial markets, including the impact it has on traditional players, how it might change both the mix of debt and the attractiveness of debt that is available (both private debt and public capital markets), and whether the rise of these alternative financiers poses a threat to financial stability. 

This panel will review the significant intensification of the use of trade remedies and measures globally, and the diminishing influence of the the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its rules on WTO members’ actions.

An open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the Committee.